Scaffolds are widely used on concrete forms to allow a worker to access, adjust or set up the tall forms. Furthermore, with the type of gang forms used to create concrete walls, it is often necessary for the worker to climb up near the top to direct the flow of concrete as it is delivered.
Many of the prior art scaffolds are of the free standing type designed to be erected on the ground adjacent to a concrete form wall. These scaffolds require multiple support frames which are burdensome to transport and store, as well as time consuming to erect and adjust. Other types of prior art scaffolds are affixed to the sides of the forms but are usually permanently positioned once mounted, requiring the entire bracket assembly to be removed prior to transportation or storage of the form walls.
Folding scaffold brackets such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,060 by inventor Gregory have been widely used in substitution of the above types of scaffolds. The advantage of having a foldable bracket is that it does not need to be removed from the form wall prior to the transportation thereof. This design requires the removal of a securing pin from each of the scaffold support brackets used, prior to the bracket and scaffold being folded flat against the form wall. As a result, there is a risk of loosing the pins around a construction site, and furthermore, the folding process may require more than one individual to disengage the brackets simultaneously prior to folding.
As a result of the aforesaid shortcomings of prior art scaffold support designs, the need arose for a scaffold support bracket that can be attached to the side of a concrete form wall and easily folded flat for transportation and storage thereof without the need to remove the bracket beforehand.